Home Safety Tips for Summer Vacations

Your home and the potential that it could be burglarized is the last thing you want to worry about while on vacation. Here are some tips that will help ease your mind:

Make sure all windows are secured; and yes, that means the upstairs windows as well.

Look for and remove any objects that could be used to gain access to your home. For example, look for ladders or trash cans that could be used to enter a window or even scale a fence.

This is a hard one, but try not to post on social media in a way that let’s people know that you will be out of town!

Turn down your telephone ringer so that your phone can’t be heard from outside. Also, use auto timers for turning the lights on and off (inside and outside).

Have the post office hold your mail. This can be arranged online, and yes you can set it up for them to deliver your held mail upon your return. Pause all newspaper deliveries and be sure to let a neighbor know that you will be gone for a little while. If they’re a really good neighbor, have them gather your mail and newspapers for you while gone is an option.

Consider a professionally monitored security system. The advantage to security systems is that it will dispatch the authorities in the event of a break-in or an emergency. “Web-based security systems can even send vacationers email and text-message alerts of security events on their smart phones or laptops, and allow you to check in through video cameras. Also, have a system that includes a 24-hour fire monitoring service that automatically dispatches the fire department if a smoke alarm is triggered.”